Blinding Noise

"So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab. Gods anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back on the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between vineyards, with a wall on either side. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it scraped against the wall, and scraped Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck it again. Then the angel of the Lord went ahead, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, 'What have I done to you, that you have struck me three times?' Balaam said to the donkey, 'Because you have made a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!' But the donkey said to Balaam, 'Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way?' And he said, 'No.' Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed down, falling on his face."

Numbers 22:21-31

Jess and I for the last week have been on a little adventure. Last Tuesday (March 3rd) we traveled with Ray to some property which he owns in Virginia. We were planning on being in Savannah Georgia by the March 10, to visit Jess' grandma and Ray was heading to his property to clear some of the land, so he offered to take us up with him, we would help him out and then he would drop us off in Atlanta where we would catch a bus to Savannah. We arrived in Virginia to Ray's property and to our surprise there was snow on the ground. Living in Hattiesburg, Mississippi we sometimes forget that it is winter elsewhere, especially when it is so warm. Our plan was to camp out of a 9 foot by 15 foot tent/shelter on his 13 acres and each day we would work to clear/thin out his property so that it can be landscaped. The first night we were there it was extremely cold with snow on the ground and temperature in the 20's. We survived the night and the next day we woke up and began work. Being in the woods was extremely relaxing and it was good for both Jess and I. Sometimes we get stressed out when we are in cities like Hattiesburg and we get caught up in our work, traffic, schedule and other frivolous things.

When we were in Virginia we woke up to the sunlight, ate and began work. We ate lunch when we got hungry during the heat of the day and ended work towards sunset so we could prepare our dinner over the campfire. Even though we were working we felt much more relaxed in the fresh air, surrounded by trees and the chirping of birds. Sometimes in houses we get caught up in the electronics, TVs, four walls and confined spaces. In our daily routine we magnify ourselves and consume our days in a hectic schedule which we create for ourselves. It is in the wilderness and peacefulness of nature which I feel dwarfed by trees and vulnerable to the elements. It is in nature that I feel the magnificence of Gods presence.

One of the days we went down the road to his neighbor who had a goat farm. On that particular day two goats had been born. We were able to hold them and learn about raising goats. On this farm we also saw a donkey. Now Jess and I had just read the above passage a couple days before going to the farm and when I saw the donkey I couldn't help but imagine it saying "Hello" to me, in a Eddie Murphy voice, just like in the movie Shrek. How amazing it would be to hear an animal speak to you! The rest of the week I reflected on that passage and how it fits in my life. I imagine Balaam had many things on his mind. He must have been concerned about the journey. He was probably thinking about what the Lord told him about Israel but also tempted by the silver and gold to disobey the Lord and help out his friend. In whatever thoughts and moments he was caught up in, he was blind to the presence of God and beat his donkey who was innocently being obedient to God. During Lent I have kept in mind the distractions in my life which blind me from the ever presence of God. Do I find myself distracted by my own daily routine that Gods presence is put aside? Am I caught up in my life to the extent that others who are obedient to God are being hurt, like the donkey? I think these are questions we all need to ask ourselves from time to time. How are we blinding ourselves to Gods presence and are we hurting those closest to us by pursuing our own pleasures and wants? In pursuing those answers I suggest spending time in silence or somewhere out of the ordinary and away from your daily routine. Whether this means turning off the t.v. and spending time in silent reflection, taking a walk on your lunch break by yourself instead of eating in the office; putting time aside to spend in a park, or elsewhere in the midst of Gods beautiful creation. Let the birds, trees and donkeys remind you of Gods ever presence.

Peace and Love,

Jordan and Jess